India: Punjab Potato Growers Sell Below Cost as Cold Stores Stay Full Ahead of Rabi Planting
Key takeaways
- 5–7 rupees per kg paid for good-quality Punjab potatoes
- 10–15 rupees per kg: the price a year ago, farmers said
- 235–240 rupees per sack: holding cost cited in Jagraon
- 62% of Birbhum cold-store potatoes unsold by end-August
Why it matters
- For farmers
- Cost out storage before holding stock longer: at current prices, rent and handling can exceed sale value. Keep certified seed for key fields rather than cutting it across the board.
- For processors
- Low farm-gate prices are a chance to secure raw material and contracts for next season. Check storage quality before buying long-stored lots.
- For suppliers
- Expect weaker demand for certified seed and inputs this rabi season in Punjab and West Bengal. Offer credit or staged payment to hold volume.
60-second summary
Punjab potato growers are selling below the cost of production after a large crop, according to two independent Punjabi-language reports. In Bathinda, ETV Bharat found prices of ₹5–7 per kg for good quality and ₹2–4 for average stock, against ₹10–15 a year ago, with cultivation costs above ₹45,000 per acre. In Jagraon, Punjabi Tribune reported traders offering ₹200–250 per sack while farmers put holding costs at ₹235–240, including cold-storage rent. The two reports quote storage rent on different bases. In West Bengal, one source reports 62% of potatoes in Birbhum cold stores still unsold at the end of August. With rabi planting in October and November, cheap stock may push growers to cut area or skip certified seed. Uttar Pradesh is meanwhile trying new export routes, including air freight. Farmers are asking for a minimum support price or per-acre compensation.
Potato growers in India’s Punjab are selling below the cost of production after a large crop, two independent Punjabi-language reports show. Traders are buying slowly, and cold stores remain full weeks before the next planting season.
Bathinda. ETV Bharat Punjabi reported on 16 September that potatoes were selling at ₹5–7 per kg for good quality and ₹2–4 per kg for average quality, or ₹400–700 per quintal. Farmers told the outlet that the same potatoes fetched ₹10–15 per kg a year ago. They put cultivation costs above ₹45,000 per acre and cold-storage rent at ₹110 per quintal, with yields of 90–110 quintals per acre. Growers asked for a minimum support price or per-acre compensation.
Jagraon (Ludhiana district). Punjabi Tribune reported on 18 September that traders were offering ₹200–250 per sack. Farmers there estimated the cost of holding a sack at ₹235–240, including ₹135–140 in cold-storage rent from March to November, plus harvesting, sorting and packing. They put cultivation costs at about ₹40,000 per acre with yields of 250–270 sacks. Stocks of the Diamond variety are building up in cold stores, they said.
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The two reports differ on storage costs. One quotes rent per quintal and the other per sack, and sack weights are not stated. Both describe the same situation: at current prices, storage and handling costs take most or all of the value of the crop.
Not only Punjab
West Bengal shows a similar picture. Bartaman reported on 18 September that 62% of potatoes in 18 cold stores in Birbhum district were still unsold at the end of August, and that the state is looking to move surplus stock to other states. That figure comes from one source.
Why it matters
India plants its main rabi potato crop in October and November. A large unsold stock in Punjab and West Bengal means cheap ware and seed potatoes into the planting season. Growers may cut area or skip certified seed to save money. For processors and exporters, low prices are an opportunity. For seed companies and cold-store operators, they point to a difficult season. The pressure is also behind current efforts to open export routes, including planned air shipments of potatoes from Uttar Pradesh via the new Noida (Jewar) airport, reported by Amar Ujala.
Photo: Potatoes being transported to cold storage in India (illustrative). Suyash Dwivedi / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
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What next
Rabi planting starts in October–November. Farmers are asking for a minimum support price or per-acre compensation; no government response was reported in the sources.
Sources
- ETV Bharat Punjabi, 16 September 2026 — https://www.etvbharat.com/pa/state/punjab-potato-producers-are-upset-potato-farming-has-become-a-losing-business-for-farmers-pbs26091604675
- Punjabi Tribune, 18 September 2026 — https://www.punjabitribuneonline.com/news/ludhiana/farmers-are-upset-over-not-getting-a-fair-price-for-potatoes
- Bartaman, 18 September 2026 — https://bartamanpatrika.com/news/prices-have-fallen-due-to-high-yields-initiatives-to-export-surplus-potatoes-to-other-states-to-prevent-losses
- Amar Ujala, 13 September 2026 — https://www.amarujala.com/uttar-pradesh/aligarh/aligarh-potato-from-jewar-airport-to-abroad-2026-09-13
- Bartaman is the single source for the West Bengal figures.
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